Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1887-09-14
Properties Of Water.
That which Is Wholesome and
That which is Not-Dan-
gers Of Preipitate.
A Newly Organized co-opera-
tive Meat Company in St.
Paul Experimental With.

THE TONGUE RIVER DITCH.
Two Papers Bearing Upon the Benefit to be
Derived From the Speedy Completion of
This Irrigating Canal.
PAkT ii.
1t would be fortunate II the pernic-
ious impurities In water affected only
matured constitution, but they act
with more deplorable effect on the
helplessness Of youth. These impuri.
les silently but steadily derange the
digestive organs, destroy the healthy
tone Of the system and bring the liv.
ing tissues into q condition peculiarly
predisposed to attack by malignant
disease.
The purest natural waters upon the
face of the earth are usually those
which come down In natural
streams from granite hills. A United
States gallon of water weighs nearly
sixty thousand grains. Such waters
a. physicians usually pronounce good
portable waters have from one to eight
Of these grains weight. in each gallon
OF certain impurities diffused through
them. These impurities are usually
collected into two general classes, the
one more Immediately from mineral.
the other derived directly or indirectly
from living organisms. The first are
termed mineral impurities, and the
other organic impurities.
The solution of salts Of lime and
msgnesis are among the chief causes
Of the quality called hardness in water.
Their carbonstes are broken up by
boiling. for the heat dissi pates the car.
Donate acid when the insoluble bases
are deposited, and, with such other
insoluble matters as are present from
incrustation such as seen in the tea
kettle and boilers where hard waters
have been heated. The carbonates in
moderate quantity are lees trouble
some to human constitutions than to
steam uses. The effects of the carbon
stes are termed temporary hardness.
The sulphates, chlorides, and nitrates
of lime and magnesia are not dissi-
pated by ordinary boiling. Their eff.
fects are therefore termed temporary
hardness.
A gallon of water can take up sbou,
two grains of carbonate OF lime, when
1t 10 said to contain two degrees oi
hardness; but the presence Of carbonic
acid In the water will enable the same
gallon of water to take up twelve, six.
teen, or even twenty grains Of the car
Donate, when 1t will have twelve. six.
teen, or twenty degrees Of hsrdness,
according to the number Of grains
taken into solution. The salts of lime
and magnesis, and Of iron, In water
have the property Of decomposing an
equivalent quantity Of soap, rendering
1t useless as q detergent. Thus, one
degree or grain Of the carbonate neu.
trslizes ten degrees Of soap; two de.
grees, twenty grains; three degrees,
thirty erains, etc. This source oi
waste from foul hard water. which ex'
tends to the destruction Of many valu.
able food properties, as well a. de-
stroying the usefulness Of soap, is moi
sufficiently appreciated by the genera
public.
II may be safely asserted that fou
hard well water will destroy from the
family that uses It, more value each
year than would be the cost In money
Of an abundant supply Of watsr fol
domestic purposes, from an accessible
public water supply; and this refers Il
purchased articles namely, and not tt
destruction Of human health and en-
ergy, which is beyond price. In the
natural decomposition Of animal mat
ters, especially In the stage Of putrifac
ton. their elements are often In q con
dition that will not admit OF their be
ing safely brought into contact with
the human circulation, where they
will be liable to induce similar con
ditions.
Witness the extreme danger TO 9
surgeon who receives minute guam
tity Of animal fluid into sore upor
his hand while dissecting dead body
even though life has been extinct bul
one or two days. The excreta Of liv
Ing animals also passes through = de
composing transformation, In which
stage they cannot safely be brought
into contact with human circulation
however finely they may be dissolved
In water when received. The process
OF decay In dead animal bodies. and o
decomposition Of vegetable substances
is quite rapid when moisture and Al
abundance Of atmospheric air, OF avail
able air In any form, are present, an,
10 warm temperature promotes tn